Steve Rustad illuminates issues and dissects politics

When the issue of the Keller street garage's plague of flying rats (aka, the dove of peace, squab, pigeons) resurfaced, hizzoner was contacted to comment. Giving da mayah any kind of public forum invites the world to view the most prominent symptom of our fair burg's dysfunction. Suffice it to say that his [...]

So an EIR projects that local air pollution will increase if Friedman's Home Improvement comes to town. However, the scope of the report is so narrow that it doesn't include the drop in pollution that would result from all the cars not driving to Rohnert Park for their home improvement [...]

Petaluma's self-annointed Progressives elected the mayor to represent their heartfelt goals and achieve their most profound purposes. In short (no pun intended), the mayor is the living embodiment of a Petaluma Progressive - abusing subordinates, aiding a trespasser who interferes with legally-mandated activities, claiming ownership of projects that have survived despite his determined opposition. On one hand, you can say that he's no worse than most politicians, e.g., people who do whatever they have to do to get their own way, which (in my view) perfectly characterizes our local brand of "Progressive."

For those of you moved to compose a rebuttal, it may serve you to know that the cartoons that I draw, which appear in the Argus Courier, reflect both the wishes of the publisher and the editorial policy of the paper. Just wanted you to know who inspires and abets my villainy.

Well folks, the cranky Hobbit-In-Chief has lashed out again - this time at a city employee, which makes him a work-place harasser. He's apologized (after a fashion) saying that "he was scared." Scar-Y is more like it, as Ms Padrovan can attest. I mean, who likes being attacked by a ferocious Chihuahua. And remember, this is the man who was elected to lead our troubled city through difficult negotiations with the very same municipal employees that he publicly yelled at. Time for an anger management class, or perhaps a recall?

It's a deadlock, alright. Miss P. calls for a compromise, but the business-averse Progressives are so convinced that they're in the right, they've become deaf (excuse, hearing challenged) to any disagreement. And why shouldn't they believe this? Liberal pundits have been writing since the mid-60's that any point of view other than theirs is ignorant, illegal or insane. Whatever else they may believe, the the "so-called" pro-development bloc understands that new construction can be taxed, as can completed buildings, sales, employment and other forms of commerce...and that commerce (not just taxes) are the life blood of communities.

Thanks the foot-dragging, log-rolling, perma-stall tactics so popular among local Progressives, and abetted by the City Mothers and Fathers, the long-awaited target store is not likely to open before fall 2012. The mayor's prediction that "Revenues will come," apparently didn't mean, "any time soon." I think it's safe to say that the proposed Deer Creek development will be held back by the same tactics. The result is that local folks will continue to drive north and south to spend their household budgets for food, clothes and other necessities...for the foreseeable future.

Good luck to all those who won, whether I voted for you or not. Before the election you had supporters and you had opponents. Once you've won your opponents haven't changed much, but your supporters are another case entirely. If they don't get what they think you promised in about...a week...they'll start whining, back-biting, and nay-saying. Before you know it, you're former cheerleaders will be asking for your head.

Well kids, the Road Diet that not only failed to energize commerce but further clogged traffic west of Washington Blvd will now be inflicted on the downtown merchants. Our council majority must not have heard about all of the centrally-planned disasters (all done by the way in the name of achieving progressive, Utopian goals) that crippled the Soviet and Chinese economies and are now causing Venezuela to circle the drain. Or maybe they did, we're now learning that "progressive" really is synonymous with "anti-business."